The urgency for international intervention came after Islamists seized Konna on Thursday, a frontier town that was the de facto line of government control. A day later, the government said it recaptured the town.

What's the story behind the instability?

Mali gained independence from France in 1960. The landlocked West African nation went through growing pains after independence, including droughts, rebellions and years of military dictatorship.

After Tuareg rebels seized it, a power struggle erupted with local Islamist radicals. The Islamist extremists toppled the tribe and seized control of two-thirds of northern Mali, an area the size of France.

Various factions of al Qaeda-linked militants are reportedly in the area, including Ansar Dine.

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Al Qaeda's new breeding ground: Mali

The international community has voiced concerns about al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and its expanding presence in Mali.

U.S. officials have said that the wing, the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is linked to the deadly Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others.

The region needs a well-funded operation led by Africans to have a good chance of pushing out the al Qaeda extremist movement growing in northern and western Africa, according to Gen. Carter Ham, the top American military commander in Africa.

Last month, the U.N. Security Council authorized a one-year military peacekeeping mission in Mali. The African-led International Support Mission in Mali aims to help rebuild the nation's forces and recover the areas in the north.

And as the world seeks a solution, Islamist militants are busy applying their strict interpretation of sharia law.

What are some of the human rights concerns in Mali?

Islamists controlling most of the north have imposed a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia.

"We don't have to answer to anyone over the application of sharia," Islamist commissioner Aliou Toure said last year.

Locals are not receptive to the extreme interpretations; they practice a much more relaxed form of Islam. Some have taken to the streets in protest.

As part of their new laws, radical groups banned music, a major setback for a country known for "Festival au Desert," where acts like Robert Plant and Bono have performed. They've also said no to smoking, drinking and watching sports on television.

At least four times in 2012, the militants have destroyed Timbuktu's historic tombs and shrines, claiming the relics are idolatrous. The picturesque city was once an important destination for Islamic scholars for its ancient and prominent burial sites.

Public executions, amputations, floggings and other inhumane punishments are becoming common, the United Nations says.